Singapore Defends Its Visa Move Against Myanmar Protesters

SINGAPORE (AFP)--Singapore defended its decision not to renew the visas of some Myanmar nationals working or studying in the city-state, saying they were " undesirable."

Minister for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng said there was no political pressure to move against the Myanmar nationals, who had earlier taken part in a Singapore protest against Myanmar's military rulers.

"The recent immigration actions taken by ICA (Immigration and Checkpoints Authority) against a few Myanmar nationals were not the result of political pressure or requests from the Myanmar government," Wong said in a written reply, released Wednesday, to a question in parliament.



Wong said that the Myanmar activists were politicizing the visa issue, and that the immigration office had "rightly decided that such persons are undesirable and that they should leave."

Wong said the move involved only a small number of Myanmar nationals, whom he said "had persistently defied our laws in pursuing their political agenda."

Those individuals took part in an illegal demonstration during a summit of Southeast Asian leaders hosted by Singapore last year, Wong said, adding that the protest was deliberately held near the venue to attract public and media attention.

Demonstrations are rare in Singapore, where a gathering of five or more people without a permit is illegal.

Three Myanmar nationals who joined the protest had to leave Singapore this year after their visas weren't renewed, according to Myo Myint Maung, a student who said he was speaking for the group.

Three others, who are Singapore permanent residents and who had also joined the protest, had their visas extended for one year instead of the usual five, Myo Myint Maung said.

International rights groups have accused Myanmar's military leaders of committing massive human rights violations against the country's citizens.

Singapore and Myanmar are members of the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The other members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

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